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SPORTS Saturday 8 december 2018
Jazz overcome Gobert's quick

ejection, rout Rockets 118-91

By JOHN COON .500. Jazz coach Quin Snyder
Associated Press Everything unraveled for said. "It's wrapped in differ-
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — No Houston starting in the third ent ways. The way that Der-
Rudy Gobert proved to be quarter. rick responded was terrific.
no problem for the Jazz on The Jazz opened up the CELTICS 18, KNICKS 100
defense. second half with a 15-2 BOSTON (AP) — Kyrie Irving
Utah smothered the Hous- spurt. Joe Ingles and Jae scored 22 points before
ton Rockets for the bet- Crowder each scored a leaving the game in the fi- Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives around Utah
ter part of four quarters pair of baskets on Utah's nal minutes nursing his right Jazz center Rudy Gobert, left, during the first half of an NBA
en route to a 118-91 vic- first four possessions to ig- shoulder, Al Horford had 19 basketball game Thursday Dec. 6, 2018, in Salt Lake City.
tory Thursday night. The nite the decisive run that points and 12 rebounds, Associated Press
Jazz pestered and pressed gave the Jazz a 68-47 lead. and Boston coasted past
Houston into coughing up Houston committed four New York.
the ball repeatedly, espe- turnovers in that stretch, Jaylen Brown returned af-
cially after halftime. The leading to eight points for ter missing three games
Rockets gave up 22 turn- Utah. with a bruised lower back
overs and allowed Utah to "They were driving and kick- and scored a season-
score 33 points off them. ing and being more ac- high 21 points. Jayson Ta-
Both were season highs for tive," Rockets coach Mike tum added 17 for Boston,
a Houston opponent. D'Antoni said. which won its fourth straight
The Jazz played the bulk "They were more athletic, game and exacted a bit of
of the game without their getting to the rim. They just revenge for a Nov. 21 loss
starting center after Gobert beat us in every which way to the Knicks.
was ejected less than three they could." Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22
minutes into the game. He the Rockets finished with for New York, which has lost
picked up his first foul on eight turnovers in the quar- four of its last five games.
the opening tip. After pick- ter and gave up more Enes Kanter had 14 points
ing up his second at the points off turnovers (15) and 11 rebounds, and
9:13 mark of the first quar- than they scored (11). Fa- Noah Vonleh had 12 and
ter, Gobert was tossed af- vors bookended Jazz bas- 10.
ter swatting a paper cup kets over three straight pos- TRAIL BLAZERS 108, SUNS 86
off the scorer's table in frus- sessions with a dunk and a PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Da-
tration. hook shot to give Utah its mian Lillard had 25 points
Gobert drew a $15,000 fine largest lead at 91-54. and eight assists before
from league officials earlier "They got off to a really sitting for the final quarter
in the week for criticizing good start in that third and Portland snapped a
the officiating crew follow- quarter," Rockets guard three-game losing streak
ing Utah's 102-100 loss to James Harden said. "They with a rout of Phoenix.
Miami on Sunday. made shots. We didn't Jake Layman came off the
His response to the officials make shots. We made a bench to score a career-
ended up being more sub- couple of mental errors on high 24 points for the Blaz-
dued this time around. defense and they capital- ers, who had lost six of their
"I just came in to try to play ized." last seven games.
basketball," Gobert said. Harden scored 15 points Portland led by as many as
"Fouls were called and I while Chris Paul and Clint 31 points.
had a stupid reaction. I Capela added 12 apiece Troy Daniels had a season-
think I can blame myself for the Rockets. Houston high 15 points for the strug-
more than anything for that (11-13) allowed an oppo- gling Suns, who were held
one." nent to pull away in the to nine points in the first
Derrick Favors stepped up second half for a second quarter for the second con-
in Gobert's absence. Fa- straight game after com- secutive game and have
vors totaled a season-high mitting a season-high 22 lost seven straight. Phoenix
24 points on 10-of-13 shoot- turnovers and giving up a has just four victories this
ing and 10 rebounds in 26 season-high 33 points off season, and just one on the
minutes off the bench. those turnovers. road.
"When Rudy went out, I Utah adjusted well to Gob- Phoenix missed T.J. Warren
had an opportunity to just ert's early absence. The for the fourth straight game
go out and be aggressive Jazz ripped off an 11-0 run because of right ankle
and take advantage of the to take a 27-16 lead near soreness and Devin Booker
opportunity that was given the end of the first quar- for the second game be-
to me," Favors said. "That's ter. Favors ignited the spurt cause of a left hamstring
what I did and it paid off for with a pair of dunks. Dante strain. Booker is the team's
me." Exum finished it off by slash- top scorer, averaging 23.5
Joe Ingles added 18 points ing to the rim on back-to- points, while Warren aver-
and six rebounds for the back possessions for a pair ages 17.7.q
Jazz. Utah (13-13) won of baskets.
for the fourth time in five "The game is always go-
games to climb back to ing to throw you adversity,"